Yiwu 2014

The city of Yiwu was once the distribution centre for tea from the Six Famous Tea Mountains and was the starting point for today's Pu'er hype towards the end of the 19th century; it remains a reference for serious Pu'er drinkers. It is surprising that tea from the region of this now-day busy city has managed to remain smooth, supple and sweet: fruity notes contrast with a generous astringency, together suggesting the taste of cranberries, while its round sweetness is balanced by a pleasant salinity, synthesised upon a palette of creamy texture and beeswax warmth. Perhaps it is also perfectly normal that after being stored five years in its native country, the tea reflects this place as a crossroads of flavours, as it was when it was first traded. In any case, it is a Pu'er that can be used to recover a little after too much urban stimulation.